On Saturday, July 10, a small group of birders met at the early-bird hour of 6 a.m. We explored a few birding destinations close to town, including a cross-country ski trail and a recent clear-cut, and we finished our outing at the picturesque Smooth Rock waterfall on the Mattagami River.
Although the peak breeding season is coming to an end, we did observe a number of lovely birds including Mourning Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, Magnolia Warbler, Evening Grosbeak and Spotted Sandpiper. We were continually serenaded by Winter Wrens, Swainson's Thrushes, and White-throated Sparrows, even though it was difficult to actually see those birds. A highlight of our trip was the appearance of two Black-backed Woodpeckers that perched where we could easily observe them, and sat there for quite a long time; one was an adult male and the other, a fluffy-looking juvenile female. A big thank you to Rhonda Donley for sharing her expertise, and thank you to our guests from out of town for coming all the way up to Smooth Rock Falls to go birding with us. Angie & Ken Williams -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Birdnews is reserved for announcements, location summaries, first of year reports, etc. To post a message on Birdnews, send an email to: [email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at [email protected]. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
